CRISTIANO RONALDO hopes to use his influence in Portuguese football to lure Joao Felix to Juventus to play alongside him.

Cristiano Ronaldo's status as a Portuguese icon is ideal in attracting Felix to Turn (Image: Getty)

The Serie A giants may have won the league with time to spare once again but their shock exit from the Champions League has alerted club officials to the need to be more proactive in the transfer market.

When it comes to Felix, his hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League is said to have convinced several top teams to meet the £105 million (€120 million) release clause Benfica hold on the midfielder.

Portuguese outlet A Bola report on Juve being unwilling to breach even £85m (€100m) when initially bidding for the player but Ronaldo’s desire to play alongside Felix has contributed to an increased sense of urgency.

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As have Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Liverpool, and speculation continues to intensify over who will be the team to snap Felix up.

Benfica are said to be certain that they will not negotiate a sale below the youngster’s release clause and reports suggest they are even trying to tie him down to a new deal.

That would feature an increased buy-out but has been rejected by his agent, Jorge Mendes.

However Benfica still stand to make a huge profit on a player who only made his first-team debut in August, going on to score 13 goals and add seven assists in their run to the top of the league this season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to make some big changes in the transfer window this summer (Image: Getty)

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Jadon Sancho is another major target for United's summer plans (Image: Getty)

The Lisbon club sit first on goal difference, edging Porto after Felix hit two goals in Monday’s 6-0 thrashing on Maritimo.

Juventus have faced no such battle to win Serie A for the eighth time in a row but club bosses are under pressure to do even more having signed Cristiano Ronaldo last summer.

The former United striker has registered 19 goals in 27 appearances en route to title glory, scoring a further six times in Europe.

At 34, however, a successor is needed and Felix is ideally placed to be just that.

Should the Old Lady complete the deal, it would be a hammer blow to United and City.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows he has to improve his squad rapidly if they are to make a title challenge next season, with Jadon Sancho, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Declan Rice all known to be of interest at Old Trafford.